£5m cycle path between Royston and Barnsley town centre approved

Barnsley Council’s planning board rubber stamped the plans, which will see a three metre wide combined cycle route and footpath on the disused railway line between Wakefield Road/Bar Lane at Staincross/Athersley and Lee Lane, Royston.

Cash for the scheme has been provided by Sheffield City Region’s Transforming Cities Fund.

It will connect the new community planned off Lee Lane – Barnsley Council’s masterplan earmarks land off Lee Lane for 828 homes, a new primary school and a retail facility.

The report adds that BMBC has aspirations to create an” uninterrupted active travel link” connecting Royston to Goldthorpe via Barnsley town centre, to “significantly improve and expand east/west connectivity”.

This proposal is to construct a 1600m long bridleway surfaced in a dust aggregate, with a “a considerable amount of fly tipped debris” to be cleaned up along the route.

Joe Jenkinson, head of planning and building control at Barnsley Council said that a discussion could be had around lighting following the decision, after Councillor Trevor Smith said the area could be “dark and dingy”.

Councillor Sarah Tattersall added that ward councillors and South Yorkshire Police already worked together to prevent anti social behaviour, in response to concerns from Councillor Brenda Eastwood.

Councillor Tattersall told the meeting: “We’ve just recently done an evaluation on the memorial field, where we know where the access points are for bikes and motorbikes.

“In the last couple of weeks they have confiscated a few bikes.

“That will continue.”